Committees

Local Rules Advisory Committee

There is one Local Rules Advisory Committee for the district. Its members include experienced federal practitioners from throughout the district. The Court strives to fill the Committee with a mix of attorneys in civil, criminal, private and government practice. Proposed amendments to the Court's local rules are transmitted by the Clerk of Court to the Committee for review and comment. The Committee also suggests amendments to the rules.

Members:

Mr. Donald J. Aho (Chair)

Mr. Jerry W. Laughlin

Mr. Robert P. Murrian

Mr. Robert S. Peters

Mr. Gregg Sullivan

Ms. Karmen Waters

Mr. Cameron Hill

Attorney Admissions Committees

There are Attorney Admissions Committees in the Chattanooga, Greeneville and Knoxville divisions. The members are chosen by the judges and represent experienced federal practitioners from a variety of practice areas. All applications for admission to practice in the Court are transmitted by the Clerk of Court to the appropriate Committee, which reviews the qualifications of the applicants and reports to the Court. E.D. TN LR. 83.5(a)(3).

Chattanooga

Greeneville

Knoxville

Mr. Neil A. Brunetz (Chair)

Mr. Christopher T. Varner

Ms. Katharine Gardner

Mr. D. Aaron Love

Mr. Gary Henry

Mr. Michael K. Alston

Ms. Donna Mikel

Mr. Robert D. Philyaw

Honorable Shelley D. Rucker

Honorable Susan K. Lee

Mr. John L. Medearis

Ms. Tonya Cammon

Mr. William Louis Ricker (Chair)

Ms. Jimmie C. Miller

Mr. Douglas T. Jenkins

Mr. E. Lynn Dougherty

Mr. Olen G. Haynes, Jr.

Mr. Stacey L. Street

Mr. F. Braxton Terry

Mr. R. Kim Burnette

Mr. Wade Davies

Mr. Bruce E. Foster (Chair)

Ms. Anne McKinney

Mr. Greg S. McMillan

Mr. Edward G. Phillips

Mr. Howard Vogel

CJA Panel Selection Committees

There are CJA Panel Selection Committees in the Chattanooga, Greeneville and Knoxville divisions. Each Committee consists of one district judge, one magistrate judge, one attorney who has served on a CJA Panel for three years or more, an experienced criminal defense attorney who is not on a CJA Panel, the District's Panel Representative to the CJA Panel Attorney's Conference, and the Federal Community Defender. Each Committee meets at least once a year to consider applications for the division's CJA Panel and make recommendations to the Court as to those applicants best qualified to fill any vacancies. The Committees also review the operation and administration of the Panel and recommend to the Court any changes deemed necessary or appropriate by the Committee regarding the appointment process and Panel management.

Chattanooga

Greeneville

Knoxville

Honorable Harry S. Mattice

Honorable William B. Mitchell Carter

Ms. Elizabeth Ford

Mr. Robert R. Kurtz

Mr. W. Gerald Tidwell, Jr.

Mr. Brian O'Shaughnessy

Honorable J. Ronnie Greer

Honorable Dennis H. Inman

Ms. Elizabeth Ford

Mr. Robert R. Kurtz

Mr. Doug Payne

Honorable Pamela L. Reeves

Honorable H. Bruce Guyton

Honorable C. Clifford Shirley, Jr.

Ms. Elizabeth Ford

Mr. Robert R. Kurtz

Mr. W. Thomas Dillard

Mr. G. Scott Green

Court Technology Advisory Committee

There is one Court Technology Advisory Committee for the district. Committee members serve on a rotating basis and are selected by the judges from across the district with the purpose of selecting a variety of backgrounds, including prosecutors, criminal defense, civil plaintiff, civil defendant, government and private practice. The Committee meets quarterly via video conference.

Members:

Mr. Donald J. Aho

Mr. John C. (Jack) Burgin, Jr.

Mr. David Disney (Chair)

Ms. Debra C. Poplin

Mr. John Medearis

Ms. Dana Hansen-Chavis

Mr. Todd Shelton

Mr. Neil Smith

Ms. Kelli L. Thompson

Purpose:

To make recommendations to the District Court on a broad-range of technological matters, including facilitating the use of courtroom technologies to enhance courtroom presentations, and advising on matters related to state-of-the art and emerging technologies such as the web page, wireless technology, cell phone use, and CM/ECF and to take actions in furtherance thereof.

Objectives:

To recommend to the District Court the purchase of appropriate courtroom technologies.

To assist the District Court in developing training programs for members of the bar on use of courtroom evidence presentation equipment.

To educate attorneys about courtroom technology.

To serve as liaison with the bar associations to promote the use of courtroom technology equipment and to address attorney needs.

To keep abreast of state-of-the-art and emerging technologies, to evaluate the benefit of same to the Court and practitioners, and to advise the Court about use in Court.